A blog and review on all things Sherry. It is about tasting, enjoyment and learning more about the World’s Finest Wine. "Sherry is a thoroughbred" as Javier Hidalgo rightly puts it. Included are the amazing local Brandies and the remarkably good table wines also produced in the province of Cádiz.

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Friday, 4 July 2014

Fino Coquinero 17%, Osborne

Appearance
Deepish bright golden straw, light legs.Nose
Most attractive and fuller than many. There is a yeastiness with traces of straw and some briny salinity too, all very polished, then you notice traces of almond and hazelnut and a very slight hint of apparent sweetness balanced by the bitterness of the Flor. This is older Fino with a hint of finely controlled oxidation giving it a little more weight.Palate
For a Fino it is full and quite serious, plenty of complexity from the still present bitter Flor mingling with the nuttier notes of the early Amontillado stage. This is lovely, and it has that roundness of the Puerto wines which balances with a hint of Flor at the end, which lingers for quite a while.Comments
This is a lovely Sherry of a style not seen much now, a Fino-Amontillado. It ages for 4.5 years as a Fino and then it is fortified to 17%, killing off the flor, and ages oxidatively for 2 more years. It used to be sold as an Amontillado, but is now called a Fino, and I'm not sure if it is now younger than before. Anyway, it is well regarded by the trade. FYI - A "coquinero" is someone who collects cockleshells and is also a slang term for someone from El Puerto de Santa Maria.Price
8-9 Euros in Spain. Hard to find in the UK, but winesearcher.com has someone selling it for £12.99.

About Me

Sherry has been in my blood since infancy. My father was born in Cádiz, where his family lived till the outbreak of the Spanish Civil war, when they left Spain for Scotland. They were stuck there during World War II and so I was born in Edinburgh but we always spent holidays in Andalucía where I instantly felt at home, being a regular visitor until I moved here in 2002. I am the 4th generation of my family to live in Spain.
Andalucía is a fascinating and very special place. Its culture is ancient and its people are wonderful. If you think about it, all that is regarded as “typically Spanish” is actually from Andalucía.
Over forty years in the wine trade have taught me much about the wines of the world, and above all what a unique treasure we have in Sherry. I hope that with this blog a useful and accessible resource will develop which will enhance the pleasure and knowledge of Sherry lovers everywhere.